"Murray Leinster - Time Tunnel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

"What's the matter with it?"
"It is a work of art!" said Pepe indignantly. "It was made
by an artist! A craftsman! If it were an antique, it would be
priceless! But it was one of a drawer-full of similar snuff-
boxes, some inferior, to be sure, but others equally good. And
I bought it for peanuts!"
Harrison biinked again. "I don't quite see . . ."
"Somebody made it!" said Pepe. "By hand! He is capable
of magnificent work! This is magnificent! But he is turning
out things to be sold by Carroll, Dubois et Cie as curios!
Which is a crime! He should be found and told the facts of
life! Your Valerie says that her uncle, M. Dubois, is off on a
trip to secure more stock for the shop. She does not know
where he went. You may remember that I was enthusiastic
and asked where such things were manufactured. She does
not know that, either! Don't you see what has happened?"
Harrison shook his head. He was unreasonably pleased at
having rediscovered Valerie. It was something so unlikely
that he wouldn't have dreamed of it occurring.
"I've no idea what you're talking about," he admitted.
"I've made inquiries," said .Pepe. "I'm told that work-
manship like that snuffbox would entitle a craftsman to
plenty of money! If he made things of modern usefulness and
iii the modem taste, he'd grow rich! But do you know what I
paid for that snuffbox? Sixty-five hundred francs! Practi-
cally twenty dollars! Don't you see?"
"No," admitted Harrison again, "I don't."
"This Madame Carroll and this Monsieur Dubois have
found a gifted craftsman," said Pepe angrily, "he is capable
of masterpieces, and they have him making curios! Think
of the skill and labor that went into this snuffbox! Think
what they must have paid him for it, to offer it for sale as
a curio for twenty dollars!"
Harrison biinked yet again.
"But..."
"The stupidity of it!" insisted Pepe, botly. "The idiocy
of it! As shopkeepers, this Madame Carroll and this
M'sieur Dubois think only of how much they can get from
miniature works of art they don't even recognize as works
of art! They think only of a shopkeeper's profit! They keep a
craftsman of the highest order turning out gems of skill and
artistry so they can sell them to ignorant tourists! Like me!"
Harrison felt a very familiar depression creeping over him.
"Naturally Dubois would not let out where he gets his
stock!" said Pepe scornfully. "Someone might find his work-
man and let him know what his skill is really worth! It isn't
illegal to buy an artist's work for peanuts and sell it again
at any price one can get. But it is an outrage!"
"The workmanship is that good?" asked Harrison forlomly.
"I spoke to an expert in such things," fumed Pepe, "and